Dr. Thalia Standish

Congratulations to Thalia Standish of the University of Western Ontario for receiving the 2021 ECS Corrosion Division Morris Cohen Graduate Student Award. Each year, the division recognizes and rewards outstanding graduate research in the field of corrosion science and/or engineering. Such early recognition of highly qualified corrosion scientists and/or engineers is intended to encourage especially promising researchers to remain active in the field after their graduate research is completed.

Dr. Thalia Standish

Thalia Standish is a Research Scientist at Surface Science Western, where she conducts material analyses to advance academic research and help solve industrial problems. She received her PhD in Chemistry from Western University in 2019. Her graduate research focused on evaluating the galvanic corrosion behavior of copper-coated carbon steel for used nuclear fuel containers, using a combination of electrochemical techniques, x-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and surface analytical techniques. Dr. Standish is currently developing expertise in Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermal analysis techniques, focusing on polymeric materials in particular. (more…)

The ECS Industrial Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Engineering (IE&EE) Division recognizes and rewards promising young engineers and scientists in the fields of electrochemical engineering and applied electrochemistry with two special awards. Congratulations to Akshay Subramaniam who received the IE&EE Division Student Achievement Award, and Eric McShane, winner of the IE&EE Division H. H. Dow Memorial Student Achievement Award.

The IE&EE Division Student Achievement Award was established in 1989. The IE&EE Division H. H. Dow Memorial Student Achievement Award was established in 1990 with a gift from the Dow Chemical Company Foundation to encourage recipients to continue careers in electrochemical engineering or applied electrochemistry. Both awards require that nominees describe a research project that they will pursue during the award year, and how that project relates to the field of electrochemical engineering or applied electrochemistry. The recipients of the awards each receive a framed certificate and US $1,000 prize. The IE&EE Division H. H. Dow Memorial Student Achievement Award restricts use of the award to expenses associated with the recipient’s education or research project, i.e., tuition, books, equipment, or supplies. (more…)

Elton Cairns on life before, during, and after COVID-19

To round out our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, we checked in with Past ECS President Elton J. Cairns, who has been a member of the Society since 1961. Over his 60+ years with ECS, he was active in the Niagara-Mohawk Section; served on many Society and division committees; was Battery division editor; held all the offices of the Physical Electrochemistry division (Chairman, 1981-1983); organized Society meeting symposia; and was elected Vice-President (1986) and President (1989-1990). Dr. Cairns received the Turner Book Prize in 1963 and was elected Fellow of The Electrochemical Society in 1991. All of this on top of teaching, mentoring, and making important contributions to science! He is Professor of the Graduate School, Berkeley College of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, U.S.

Life outside the lab

“We have been in shut-down for over a year without access to the lab—even though now I am vaccinated. I have been active working with some grads and postgrads through Zoom. Mostly I help them with articles they seek to publish. As for my own work, I filled the year with activities related to publishing—the nuts and bolts of the publishing process. I stay in contact with colleagues around the world through Zoom and Skype. (more…)